Just 100 more days till the biggest movie event of the Summer!

Synopsis:
Disney’s “The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau (“The Jungle Book”), journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

Staying true to the classic story, director Jon Favreau utilizes pioneering filmmaking techniques to bring the iconic characters to the big screen in a whole new way. Featuring the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

 
A new Still:

See the Trailer:

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release THE LION KING Friday, July 12, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

Success happened literally overnight in 2014 for Author Anna Todd, who published the first chapters of what would become a major success on Wattpad. Fans could not get enough of the story centering on a college junior named Tessa Young who falls in love with a Harry Styles-inspired character in her studies at Washington State University. A publishing deal soon followed, before spawning a series of wildly-successful novels which became New York Times Bestsellers.

After is primed for the big screen and we were lucky enough to chat with Todd and the stars of After, Josephine Langford (the younger sister of 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford) who plays the lead role of Tessa and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), who stars also in the lead role of Hardin.

See the Trailer:

The Trio made time for a Toronto stop on their whirlwind Press Tour and big numbers are projected if the amount of interest online is any indication. Ardent is an understatement describing After‘s fanbase and we chat with Fiennes-Tiffin, Langford and Todd about this, plus also Tessa and Hardin’s electric chemistry and what they took away from their experience making what could be the first installment of a mega-franchise.

How do you achieve that chemistry on-screen?
Todd: “We really took a shot with the two of them because they hadn’t had a chemistry read. Josephine had chemistry reads with side characters and Hero had chemistry reads with a potential round of Tessas but we never had a chemistry read between the two of them. So we really honestly just got really lucky with that.”.

Fiennes-Tiffin: “We feel we can never really take credit for that because we just come on and do our best and we were lucky to get on with each other . The whole cast and crew we’re genuinely all friends genuinely today”.

Langford: ” It’s definitely good casting and luck.”.

What are some of the ‘crazier’ fan experiences you’ve had this Press Tour?

Langford: “I’ve been given a lot of cat-related items.”.

Fiennes-Tiffin: “I have a football top from every place we’ve been so far.”.

Todd: “I would say it’s just having crowds of people every where. There was a night – I would say it was intense more than ‘crazy’ – where they were chasing the car and it felt sorta like a nice Zombie Apocalypse?”.

Langford: “It was a loving Zombie Apocalypse.”.

Todd: “You always see Justin Bieber getting in a car that gets chased. I never thought that I would be in a car that people would care enough to chase!”.

What was the greatest challenge of bringing the story to the big screen?

Todd: “Timing mostly because the books are so long and there’s just so many plot lines and you have to be selective on what makes a good film. So it’s kinda separating the book as much as I kept the book in mind – all of us did – but there are things that just work in a book that don’t work on-screen. I find it’s about keeping the balance of keeping it true to the story but also making it a good film even if you’ve never heard of the books. If the film does its job, people who have never even heard and maybe will never read the books, will still love the Film.”.

What was the most valuable thing you took away from making the Film?

Langford: “For me it was scheduling. I’ve never been in a film where I literally was in every single scene, except maybe one. So learning to deal with that schedule and maintaining continuity while shooting out of order – that was super-valuable to me.”.

Fiennes-Tiffin: “It reiterated to me the importance of telling the whole truth. A lot of things I felt like I took from the character.”.

Todd: “I learned I really like producing. In my next books I will never have everyone have a bunch of tattoos and different-coloured hair, because it’s really hard to do that logistically, especially when you’re making an Indie film on an Indie budget.”.

See our Chat:

We had to!

VVS Films release AFTER Friday, April 12, 2019.

Enter for a chance here to win a Prize Pack. Canadian Readers only.

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films/Mr. Will Wong)

VVS Films x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win an AFTER Prize Pack. The Fandom is real. Winners will win a Run-of-Engagement Pass to see the Movie based on Anna Todd‘s wildly-popular series of Novels, and also a copy of the Book on which it is based.

Synopsis:
Tessa Young is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. Entering her first semester of college, Tessa‘s guarded world opens up when she meets Hardin Scott, a mysterious and brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself — and what she wants out of life.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

VVS Films release AFTER Friday, April 12, 2019.

Stay tuned for our chat with Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Anna Todd!

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

You’ve never seen the THE ADDAMS FAMILY like this! Presenting the new Teaser Trailer for the upcoming Halloween release!

Synopsis:
Get ready to snap your fingers! The Addams Family is back on the big screen in the first animated comedy about the kookiest family on the block. Funny, outlandish, and completely iconic, the Addams Family redefines what it means to be a good neighbor.

Directed By: Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll with Bette Midler and Allison Janney

See the Teaser Trailer:

Artwork:

Universal Pictures Canada release THE ADDAMS FAMILY this Halloween.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see TEEN SPIRIT! Screenings are as follows:

Vancouver:
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Time: 7:00am
Location: Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver (900 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 3G5)

Winnipeg:
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Time: 7:00am
Location: SilverCity St. Vital Cinema (160-1225 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, MB, R2M 5E5)

Calgary:
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Time: 7:00am
Location: Cineplex Odeon Westhills Cinemas (165 Stewart Green SW, Calgary, AB, T3H 3C8)

Synopsis:
Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent and ambition. Driven by a pop-fueled soundtrack, Teen Spirit is a visceral and stylish spin on the Cinderella story.The film also stars Rebecca Hall, Zlatko Buric and Agnieszka Grochowska.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Click Re-Tweet on this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

We couldn’t pass-up a chance to test drive the new 2019 Honda Accord Touring 2.0 after catching wind of its arrival. You know how much we adore the Series!

We’ve been a bit down about losing our dear Billy a few weeks back and with there being so little downtime since then with event after event to cover, we really haven’t had a moment to ourselves and time to catch-up with dear friends and the Accord Touring 2.0 gave us exactly this. Time to drive far away, clear our mind and reflect.

The Acccord Touring 2.0 builds on its predecessors’ legacy of style and elegance. We felt elevated driving the Lunar Silver Metallic masterpiece across all terrains: bumpy country roads, highways and city concrete.

Its 2.0-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, iVTEC, turbo-charged 4-cylinder engine meant pure power… all 252 horsepower of it! For the first time ever we got to experience its Adaptive Damper System which individually can adjust the shock absorbers’ forces to match the vehicle’s payload, the state of the road surface and even the driving style. State of the art!

Like recent evolutions in offerings from Honda, we fully have gotten used to shift gear-free driving. The heart and soul of the vehicle is its intuitive Display Audio System and panel with HondaLink Navigation System. Its HandsFreeLink connected easily to our Android, allowing us to stream our favourite playlists off Spotify when we weren’t vibing-out to SiriusXM Hits 1 or their newly-launched all-hits Pandora channel. Its 452-watt Audio System with ten speakers is magical.

We love some of the things Honda continues to do for user-friendliness in Climate Control, recognizing the different, customized needs of driver and passengers. We adore that there are seat warmers and coolers. The heated steering wheel option came in handy as we transition from the frigid winter to spring. We love that there are several charging ports and a charging plate ensuring everyone is happy!

The ventilated front seats and perforated leather-trimmed seating surfaces deliver comfort and purpose and we received several compliments about roominess from our friends who were lucky enough to ride along.

Safety always is first with Honda and we loved its Traffic Sign Recognition, keeping us updated on our travels with changes in speed limits in a holographic manner on the car’s windshield. Its Blind Spot Information System does much work for us so that we can stay focused on the drive and its Collision Mitigation Braking System, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, plus Lane and Road Departure Systems keep us on alert.  Upon a few drops of moisture on the windshield we notice our windshields begin to wipe automatically. Now that’s intuition!

Like the 2019 Honda According Touring that we tried over the Holidays, we once again saw that pesky Tire Pressure Low warning light surface again after driving over a speed bump in the country.  If you’ve double-checked the tire pressure and all is fine, try re-calibrating by going into Vehicle settings on the Accord‘s touch-screen display and under TPMS Calibration. We selected the Calibrate option which made the warning go away.

We couldn’t avoid rising gas prices this time around after being spoiled all winter long, but we got plenty of value out of a tank of gas on ECON mode driving country to see our namesakes Mr. Will and A Pic by Mrwill, to city for work and Press Junkets, including the one for hotly-anticipated Teen Romance, AFTER which is poised for big numbers.

We created many memories in the 2019 Honda Accord Touring 2.0 with our family (inluding my nephew’s cat Jinx!) and friends and couldn’t have had a better sidekick to do it all in.

The 2019 Honda Accord Touring 2.0 retails from $40,976 CAN. More here.

See some Snaps:

In loving memory of Billy. I’ll never forget all our adventures together in the many Honda vehicles we’ve been in together over the years. Recorded in the 2019 Honda Accord Touring 2.0.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

SHAZAM! is a well-meant winner at the Box Office this weekend, nabbing top spot for Warner Bros. with $53.7 million, from 4,259 theatres. The latest adaptation from DC Comics, gets universal acclaim with 91% on the Tomatometer and an A CinemaScore to match.

Debuting in second spot and not disgraced in a reboot of Stephen King’s PET SEMATARY with $24 million from 3,585 theatres for Paramount Pictures. It gets 61% on the Tomatometer and a C+ CinemaScore from Audiences.

In third is last week’s champ, Disney’s DUMBO with $18.5 million from 4,259 theatres. Over two weeks, it has made $76.5 million domestically.

In fourth is US with $14.5 million for Universal Pictures, a total $151.3 million gross across North America in three weeks.

BEST OF ENEMIES starring Taraji P. Henson opens in sixth with $4.9 million for STX Entertainment, from 1,705 theatres. It will be expanding to Canada shortly for Elevation Pictures. It gets 50% on the Tomatometer and an A CinemaScore.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD rounds things out in tenth with $2 million for Universal Pictures, a total $156.7 million grossed over seven weeks.

Joaquin Phoenix is riveting in this new Teaser Trailer for JOKER, available now!

Synopsis:
Arthur is a troubled man. Despite his mother urging him to live his life with a happy face and laughter and bring joy to others, he is subject to constant harassment and beatings. However, as he sees the world around him growing crazier and crazier, he begins to descend into madness upon the realization that his life is not a tragedy, but instead a comedy – paving the way for his transformation into Gotham’s greatest criminal, The Joker.

See the Trailer:

Warner Bros. Canada release JOKER Friday, October 4, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Canada)

By George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

Grammy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Conductor Richard Kaufman, marked his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with an exciting concert featuring a host of Oscar-winning and nominated scores and songs. BEST OF HOLLYWOOD features music from classic movies like The Godfather and The Magnificent Seven to Gone with the Wind and Dr. Zhivago and the heavenly orchestral performances fill the Roy Thomson Hall with elegance and memories of wonderful films. One cannot help being swept-away with the sensual and romantic music from Out of Africa or notice how John Williams must have been inspired by Parade of the Charioteers from Ben Hur when he created the now iconic score of Star Wars. Throughout the Concert, Kaufman and the TSO are graced with the mellifluous voice of Whitney Claire Kaufman and two of her performances were my personal highlights from the concert. Her rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio accompanied only by a piano elicited goosebumps and I absolutely loved hearing sing Through the Eyes of Love, a song that was deleted from the final cut of Mary Poppins as Walt Disney did not like the idea of this character singing a love song.

Richard Kaufman entertains the audience with trivia about the movies and personal insights and stories. He is a charming host and outstanding conductor. My one and only minor caveat with BEST OF HOLLYWOOD is that there three too many songs from the Disney catalogue. Though glorious in their own right, I would have like to hear Whitney Claire Kaufman sing the 1942 Oscar winner You’ll Never Know from Hello, Frisco, Hello, Secret Love from Calamity Jane or To Sir with Love. Those songs would have fit her glorious voice.

That aside, BEST OF HOLLYWOOD brings to the audience a phenomenal repertoire of scores and songs, sensationally presented and should be seen by fans and neophytes. It is a phenomenal Concert.

BEST OF HOLLYWOOD can be enjoyed at Roy Thomson Hall Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM and on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 8:00 PM. More here.

(Photo credit: George Kozera)

Visionary Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Paterson) brings us his latest effort, THE DEAD DON’T DIE featuring one or the most eclectic Casts ever!

Synopsis:
THE DEAD DON’T DIE – the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat and Tom Waits. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures Canada release THE DEAD DON’T DIE Friday, June 14, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)